wfn.org | FRIENDSHIP PRESS ISSUES NEW RESOURCES ON CHURCH IN HONG KONG, CHINA

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: Carol J. Fouke, NCC, 212-870-2252
Internet: carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

NCC7/18/96                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW FRIENDSHIP PRESS RESOURCES FEATURE CHURCH IN
CHINA, HONG KONG

 NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The endurance of  the church
in China and Hong Kong -- a story of the
steadfastness and the sheer vitality of Chinese
Christianity -- is the theme of new study resources
by the National Council of Churches' Friendship Press.

In 1949, the year of Communist victory and the
departure of many Western missionaries, China had
fewer than one million Chinese Protestant
Christians.  Today, China's Protestants number more
than 12 million.

"The Chinese church, long a recipient of the
West's paternalistic missionary movement and the
victim of much internal suppression during the
Cultural Revolution, has come into its own," say the
authors of "The Enduring Church: Christians in China
and Hong Kong" (paperback, $8.95), the lead resource
in the series.

In "The Enduring Church," authors Gail V.
Coulson, Christopher Herlinger and Camille S. Anders
offer glimpses of present-day church life in China
and Hong Kong.  Through quotes and stories, Chinese
Christians talk about the meaning of faith amid
political change and turmoil and about the challenge
posed by women for a church still dominated by men.
Perhaps most importantly, they talk about their
sense of unity - their commitment to a theologically
and culturally diverse church, but one that is
basically united.

A special focus of the 121-page "The Enduring
Church" is Hong Kong, the British colony that will be
reunified with the People's Republic of China in
1997.  Christians in both China and Hong Kong know
that their fates are inextricably linked.  The
question facing them all is no longer "Whither the
church?" but "What faithful role can we play in a
society that is changing so rapidly?"

"The Leader's Guide to the Enduring Church"
(paperback, $4.95), authored by Anders, is a 32-page
guide that provides a close-up view of contemporary
China aimed for large and small groups and intended
for use with companion materials.

The "Leader's Guide's" variety of hands-on
activities make learning experiential and are
supplemented by recipes, songs and worship
resources.  Although intended for six sessions,
alternative settings and time frames are suggested,
including a retreat and an optional seventh session
for a festive all-church China event.

Among the other companion materials is a "Map
'N' Facts: China and Hong Kong" ($5.95), compiled by
Jean Woo and Oxford Cartographers.  The detailed,
full-color map of contemporary China shows
provincial borders and autonomous regions, capitals
and major cities, with an inset of Hong Kong.
Photos from deep space and computer technology help
reveal China's unique topography.  On the back,
eight panels survey the history of imperial and
modern China, outline China's five major religions
and detail basic economic statistics.  The map is 23
x 35 inches and folds to 8 1/2 x 11.

A 28-minute video, "Faith Amid Change: The
Church in China and Hong Kong" ($29.95), chronicles
how the Christian church survived a Communist
revolution and the Cultural Revolution and how it
thrives today with a determination to become self-
supporting and self-propagating.  It also details
how the church in Hong Kong has fared amid the many
economic and social changes there.  Through the
video, Christians in both China and Hong Kong talk
about their hopes, their apprehensions and their
faith as they ponder the implications of rapid
economic growth and change in East Asia.

"Balancing Act: Growing Up in China and Hong
Kong" ($5.95) by Krystin Granberg is a "wide-lens"
view of life in China and focuses on young people as
they seek a balance between new and traditional
ways.  Set in a lively magazine format, it surveys
family life and relationships, holidays and food,
language, history, contemporary thought and the
martial arts.  The volume's closing chapter
highlights opportunities for bridge-building between
youth in China and North America.  A leader's guide
offers suggestions on how to use the material with
youth groups in three sessions.

A supplementary volume, "The Bible Through Asian
Eyes" (cloth, $35; paperback, $25), authored by Masao
Takenaka and Ron O'Grady, contains work by 84
artists from 18 countries and features 105 full-
color paintings that illustrate the Bible through
indigenous art forms.

Friendship Press has long been a leading
ecumenical publisher of educational materials for
schools and congregations in the United States and
Canada.  Those seeking more information should write
Friendship Press, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 860, New
York, NY 10115.  The toll-free number for ordering
resources is 1-800-889-5733.

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